When IDN met with the Danish brake specialist’s Chief Sales Officer Christel Munk Pedersen last year, we asked her if she was able to summarise what her experience has taught her about what dealers need from a brake pad manufacturer.
Her answer was simple and to the point: “Access to wide and comprehensive product range is one of the basic criteria – a range that is being constantly updated for the newest models, and that offers confidence-inspiring quality and compounds that are engineered for the application”.
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| Sinter rear for Honda SBR 500 |
That is a straight forward and simple answer, but one born from years of experience on the track and massive investment in R&D and manufacturing processes.
Their ability to respond quickly is impressive, and goes beyond simply pad shape and deep into offering dealers the right compound choices – choices that meet the variety of needs their customers have, from race to street, from wet to dry and from urban cycle riding to touring and off-roading.
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| Carbon Tech for the Kawasaki 300 Ninja |
An example of their responsiveness came in January with the release of new applications for 2017 and prior models, including race pads for the KTM390, Yamaha R3 and Kawasaki Ninja cup series and the Honda CBR 500 in a choice of ‘Carbon Tech’, Sintered and ‘Dual Carbon compounds; ‘Carbon Tech’ pads for Brembo’s road racing callipers, and sintered pads for Kymco’s 500 and 700 off-roaders.
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| Front Dual Carbon for KTM RC 390 |
A selection typical of the wide-ranging output that is routine for the SBS R&D team, and exactly the kind of range and responsiveness that Christel described.
“Our ambition is to be first with the newest and last with the oldest”, Christel went on to say. “There should not be any motorcycle – whether street, off-road or racetrack - for which you cannot find a compatible SBS brake pad. Therefore, product range development has the highest possible focus for us, and we spend a lot of resources on our product management, identifying and developing new applications constantly”.
Those resources include their 13,000 sqm (approx 140,000 sq ft) Svendborg, Denmark factory, the 120 people they employ there and the importers who sell SBS products in over 50 countries - oh, and let’s not forget the hundreds, maybe even thousands of weekend and top-line racers who have trusted in the SBS brand down the years and helped develop street pads that dealers can stock with confidence.
SBS FRICTION
www.sbs-friction.dk
